Sweet Home Alabama (English version)
by Irish-coffee
Summary: Mac felt trapped here, in the middle of Alabama... Why, and what for ? Read and find out ;)


How had he ended up in the middle of Alabama, in the depths of the countryside, on the square of a lost in time village, gazing at the sunset while tapping his foot in rhythm with the country music which was coming out of the huge amps ? Oh, Mac feared he had let himself be conned by Montana and Alabama, who were bouncing joyfully in front of him, in the first row of the group of dancers.

_A few days before : _

_The sun was setting on Manhattan and the day of the detectives was drawing out. Mac, Jo and Lindsay had volunteered to do some extra-hours so as to wait for the results of a DNA test which seemed to drag on. They were eating some Mexican takeaway in the break room when Ellie came through the door. She looked as if she had just stepped out of a western film-She wore a white Stetson hat with a black trim, a checkered shirt, shorts and cowboy shoes that were worthy of the name. _

_Jo jumped up, with a radiant smile beaming on her face._

"_I told you you'd look incredible in my outfit!" She exclaimed in a shrill while stepping forward to kiss her daughter who smiled back, proud of her costume.  
"Wow Ellie! You'd take the world by storm in Montana!" Lindsay noted, waving at her.  
"Thank you!"  
"Having a costume party?" Mac asked.  
"Yes. And as Ma' took her country dance suit back out, I thought I could give it a go..." She confessed. _

_Jo was looking at her daughter, her eyes sparkling with pride, and Mac fell for her once again. Nevertheless, Ellie's statement hadn't fallen on deaf ears. He crossed his legs, and targeted Jo with a teasing look : _

"_Might Miss Alabama be a country dancer then?"_

_Ellie nodded vigorously, and when Jo saw she was about to answer, she vainly tried to shush her with a hand on her mouth, which Ellie nibbled to be able to talk while she was looking daggers at her. _

"_You didn't know? She was even prized in some big contests when she was young."_

_Jo started. _

"_Go along and say your mother is rusty!"_

_Lindsay jumped on her feet, laughing.  
"Jo! I didn't know about that! I love dancing! I've always dreamed of learning the Alabama Slammin!" She cried out. _

_Jo smiled, soothed by her friend's support against Mac's teasing gaze. She took Lindsay's hand.  
"Easy as ABC. Follow my steps." _

_They executed some steps before Lindsay got mixed up in the directions and almost fell, triggering a general fit of giggles. When they regained their composure, Mac felt as being scrutinized. Indeed, Jo was staring at him, her eyes shrunk, as if she was about to eat him up. The thought made him shiver. _

"_Mac, you'd better keep this to yourself, or I could kidnap you to make you take part in the country dance contest of next week... I wasn't intending to go, but I'm dying to see you there!"_

Obviously, he had not been able to keep his mouth shut and the very next day, all the lab's employees were wearing cowboy hats and shouted 'Yihaa' each time they came across Jo's way. She had then decided to avenge herself and had managed to convince Mac to join her, along with Lindsay and Ellie to go on a weekend back home in Alabama. He had grumbled all the way long, but Alabama's air had soothed him. He was even beginning to appreciate the change of scene and, above all, Jo's joie de vivre.

Jo... The sun was revealing red locks in the long hair that was flying in rhythm with her dance steps, as well as reflecting on her numerous rings, necklaces and hat's ornaments. She was wearing a black tank top and shorts of the same color, both of which were not leaving any part of her body to the imagination, and she was spinning 'round and 'round, her hands on her hips, her cowboy boots treading upon the grass that was being stamped for about thirty minutes of dancing. She had persisted in thinking she could make him dance, and Lindsay and Ellie had tried to convince him too, in vain. They had let him sit in a corner, sipping a whiskey while admiring the view.  
When the first notes of the well-known 'Cotton Eye Joe' rang out, Mac saw Jo and Lindsay burst out laughing. A smile played on his lips. He loved to see these big smiles that shew all of Jo's teeth and that created huge dimples on her face.  
Jo... Her cheekbones were pink from the effort she was exerting. The group of dancers made three steps forward, and she took the advantage to beckon Mac to join them. This last, highly thrilled by the champion's sway of her hips, shook his head, giggling, and raised his glass, to what Jo answered with a mischievous look before turning for a sidestep on her long silky legs.

Mac was unable to avert his eyes from his colleague. Jo was beautiful. More than that, she was appealing. He never had time to gaze at her in full details, so he was making the most of that evening that was only beginning judging by the energy the dancers proved to have in store.

She looked over the moon, truth be said, she looked in her element. She made a standing jump, her curls went flying around her head and she let out a cowgirl shrill that triggered a wave of clapping to the beat.  
Jo left only once the line of wild cowboys, a couple of hours after the contest was opened, in order to let herself fall next to Mac, out of breath and covered with a thin layer of sweat that brought out her musky fragrance. She burst out laughing when she saw Mac smile, his eyes filled with worship.  
"Mac ! Come and have fun !" She implored while taking his glass from his hands to gulp down the last drops of his drink, that had a amber-color nearly as deep as that of Jo's eyes in the light of dusk, just under the lamps bringing light to the scene where the musicians were playing.  
"I'm afraid I don't know how to dance." Mac confessed, a hand rubbing the back of his head.  
An impish, childish smile danced on Jo's lips, and she took his hand to lead him far from the crowd.  
"What are we doing ?" He asked, following her into the barn where some had pitched their tents, offering no resistance. Jo turned her head towards him and went up the stairs that led to the mezzanine where ricks were being stored.

"You need a private lesson. You don't wanna make a fool of yourself, do you ?"

Mac looked at the ground and smiled to himself. Jo was by far the most stubborn woman he had ever known, and he knew he didn't really have a choice. He had to comply. After all, who knew what could happen in this remote place ? She could kill him without any witness.  
He sighed and opened his arms, showing he would submit himself completely to her. Her eyes sparkled.  
"You know, you look even more handsome in your jeans and your checkered shirt." She stated, placing herself next to him, ready to teach him how to dance her famous Alabama Slammin. She didn't see Mac blush, too drown into her dance craze, and he breathed in deeply, ready to be tortured until he literally fell asleep.

"Follow me."  
_Rock step right foot, quarter turn, about-face, sailor step quarter turn.  
_Jo's steps were slow, far more slow than those she had made a few minutes before. She was waiting for Mac who followed without a single mistake.

_Kick ball, step to the left,tap, tap, step.  
_Her leg stretched_, _causing her muscles tocontract softly. She took Mac's hand to guide him better. She was as focused as if she was analyzing a crucial piece of evidence, and he did his best to focus too, eager to learn this dance that was so important to her.  
_Sailor step, quarter turn, tip then heel, tip then heel.  
_Their fingers interlaced in a natural way as they stopped turning around, without them really noticing it.  
_Rock step to the right, back, side, crossed, rock step, sailor sted, quarter turn to the right.  
_Mac's feet tangled and Jo only just caught him before falling to the ground together, in the middle of the straw. Before Mac had a chance to ask her if she was alright, she burst into laughter with one of her long naked legs folded on her boss'.  
Once they calmed down, they realized their closeness. Jo closed her eyes for a second before opening them back with the fluttering of her long eyelashes that left Mac breathless.  
"I have to say you're a very poor dancer." Jo said, giving him a tap on the shoulder. Mac chuckled and lost his gaze in hers.  
The world around them was turning joyfully. Their proximity left Mac dizzy, and Jo took her cowboy's hat off, bitting her lip and placed it on her friend's head.  
"You're mistaken if you think I didn't noticed how you've been looking at me since the beginning of the night Mac. I want to see the cowboy inside of you now." She whispered with a sensual voice.  
The said cowboy felt his blood beating his temples. He hesitated a few seconds, lost in the gaze of the woman that had led him to the edge of the abyss. Their smiles had faded. The game was becoming serious. With a tender gesture, he took some straw that had got into Jo's curls off her hair before rubbing his hand up her leg. The skin under his fingers was smooth and warm, and Jo shivered under his caress, both curious and worried about what was about to happen, and about the consequences it was going to involve. Her lips parted, as to stop Mac, Mac who was consumed by desire and far from ready to listen to any suggestion. The taste of whiskey still on his tongue gave him the nerve to claim those pinkish lips she was offering him as a first intimate contact. He caressed her lips softly, and then came back to reality and parted their lips suddenly.  
"Jo" he whispered.  
This last felt like crying. She wanted him, there and now, without thinking about the future and about this friendship which had been falling to pieces anyway, ever since the moment his gaze had fallen on her body while she was dancing. He caressed her cheek, with his words blocked in his throat by the feeling that he was about to ruin everything.  
"I don't want any one-night stand". He said eventually.  
Jo felt relieved. That wasn't what she was expecting either.  
"Kiss me and that's Alabama and Country Music you'll kiss." She whispered, her eyes filled with infinite tenderness, something that Mac had never seen in her.  
Those words were enough to make him act. He wanted her, fully offered to his eyes, against his skin, on the straw stocked in the mezzanine of this barn lost in the middle of Alabama, while the fair was raging outside. So long for the contest. Lindsay and Ellie would certainly tell them about the rest of the night. Maybe they would even be elected champion of the night. For Mac, there was no doubt that the best sway of hips in Alabama was there in his arms, and he was going to prove her he was a better lover than he was a dancer.


End file.
